Nothing but the Best
by montag
Summary: [Cath/Griss] Grissom discovers a secret about Catherine (takes place before the show)...R&R please!


Author : Montag  
Disclaimer : I don't own any of these characters, blah, blah.  
Author's Note : 1) This probably takes place before the show. 2) The lyrics are from "A Story About a Girl" by Our Lady Peace from their new album, Gravity.  
  
Feedback, please! Thank you.  
  
  
  
  
  
Nothing but the Best  
  
  
  
  
I know - you're stuck inside your head  
You're alone - you better get use to it  
And I know - the feeling has to end  
You're strong - it sucks you in again  
And you're lost - you can't make any sense  
This world - it tears you limb from limb  
But hold on - you're nothing but the best  
And are you waking up slowly?  
You're nothing but lonely  
Are you waking up holding - holding your breath?  
And are you looking for something?  
I promised you one thing  
I promise I'll always - always be there  
  
- our lady peace -  
  
  
  
"It's nothing you should be concerned about."  
  
"That's one hell of a bruise."  
  
"I'm telling you it's nothing, so can't you just leave well enough alone?"  
  
"You can't keep telling me that, because from the looks of it, it looks like someone beat the crap out of you."  
  
"I was clumsy. I banged into the door one night because I was angry, all right?"  
  
"You ever read the book 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'?"  
  
"Ken Kesey? Sure. In high school."  
  
"Well, you're as clumsy as the Big Nurse."  
  
"What are you talking about? She wasn't clumsy at all."  
  
"Exactly. Now, what the hell happened?"  
  
"I told you I banged into a damn door."  
  
"The truth, please."  
  
"That is the truth."  
  
"Fine. I'll accept that." He answered quietly, "Now, my next question..."  
  
"For God's sake, Grissom, I'm not one of your suspects in the interrogation room you can just feel free to grill any time you want, damn it."  
  
"...If you're not clumsy, and I think we already ruled that out, and you banged into a door, who was the one who banged you into it?"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"You know damn well what I'm talking about."  
  
"I'm sure I don't know."  
  
"And I'm positive I do."  
  
"Then, why don't you save us all the time, and just say it?"  
  
"I want to hear it from you."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you."  
  
"How long has this been going on, Catherine?"  
  
She drew in a sharp breath.  
  
"How long? And how many times has this happened already? And how could you let him do this to you? I thought you had a little more self respect than that."  
  
She slapped him hard across the face, but he smiled ambivalently.  
  
"Was that aimed toward me or Eddie?"  
  
"Men. All you miserable bastards out there."  
  
"Catherine, what happened? You can tell me. You can always tell me."  
  
"It's not your pro - "  
  
"Make it my problem."  
  
She looked up from the paperwork on her desk. He stared back, his eyes blue, sad with concern.  
  
"He was just upset last night, that's all. He came home, drunk and..."  
  
"How long has this been happening?"  
  
"I don't remember. It's been some time now."  
  
Tears blurred her vision, threatening to escape.  
  
"How come you never said anything to me?"  
  
"Like I said, it's not your problem."  
  
"It's everybody's problem if your husband is abusing you."  
  
"Look, you don't understand at all."  
  
"There's nothing to understand, Cath."  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"I know enough."  
  
"Knowing and understanding are two different things."  
  
"You can't keep letting him do this to - "  
  
"Do you have a daughter?"  
  
He slowly lowered his eyes.  
  
"No, you don't. So, therefore, you don't understand. You don't know the feeling. The feeling that you'd do anything through hell and beyond to protect her. So, stay out of it."  
  
"But if Lindsey knew what he was doing to you, she wouldn't care. She wouldn't care if she were safe, and you weren't. Catherine, you have to do something. Something. Anything. This is going too - "  
  
"Far?" She finished for him. "Nothing's too far. I know my limits, Grissom, so stop treating me like a child. And for this, there are no limits."  
  
"Yeah, until one of these nights, we find that you're one of our D.B. cases. You have to do something."  
  
"Stop patronizing me."  
  
"I'm not patronizing you. I'm just terrified that Doc Robbins is going to do your autopsy one day."  
  
"That's not going to happen."  
  
"He's taking advantage of your weakness, and both you and I know you're anything but weak. For God's sake, you came here when you were eighteen, right? And you survived, and look at you now."  
  
"I don't want to hear about this anymore."  
  
"When is this going to end?"  
  
She began walking out the door, but he grabbed her arm, spinning her around.  
  
"Talk to me!"  
  
She didn't answer.  
  
"You're not his punching bag, Cath. You're his wife. And of all the people I've ever known, you're the one person who stands up, and doesn't let anyone step on you. Why are you letting him do this to you?"  
  
"I'm not doing this for him. Not for me. Not for anyone except my daughter. Okay? And you wouldn't understand that."  
  
"But if she knew - "  
  
"But she doesn't."  
  
"Catherine, just walk away. Leave him or do something."  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that it takes more strength to stay than to just walk away? It's easy to walk away from a marriage without fighting for it, but it's harder to stick with it."  
  
"This is different."  
  
"No, it's not."  
  
"You don't have to be strong all the time, Catherine."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"You don't have to put up with this. I'm scared this is going to go too far."  
  
"It won't."  
  
"He doesn't deserve you, Cath."  
  
"And you think you do?"  
  
"No. I don't either. Nobody does."  
  
A soft silence set in between them. Finally, he broke into it.  
  
"You see there's a difference between me and Eddie and the rest of us 'miserable bastards'. You deserve nothing but the best, and even if I couldn't provide that, I would sure as hell try."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm not going to tell you what to do. I know you have better judgment than what I give you credit for. Just...promise me if there's anything you need or you want to talk, you can always come to me."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Be careful, all right?"  
  
"I always am."  
  
"Because I honestly don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I'd probably lose myself."  
  
"You won't tell anyone, will you?"  
  
"If I had a secret, and I wanted to tell someone, it'd be you. So does that answer your question?"  
  
  
  
- End - 


End file.
